*By Christian Smith* The Office of the First Lady fired back at news media reports Tuesday that Melania Trump's "Be Best" campaign was plagiarized from materials produced by the Federal Trade Commission during the Obama administration. As part of her flagship program to focus on childhood well-being in America, Trump's office released a [pamphlet with advice] (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Talking-with-kids-about-being-online-_2018.pdf) for parents about educating their children on cyber bullying. [News reports](https://www.buzzfeed.com/blakemontgomery/melania-trump-cyberbullying-pamphlet?utm_term=.leE5ryNQl#.htvJ4qbQr) were quick to note that the pamphlet contains content from a 2009 FTC pamphlet on the same topic. The First Lady's communications director, Stephanie Grisham, released a [statement Tuesday] (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-communications-director/) slamming the "opposition media" for turning attention away from the children the First Lady is trying to help. "Despite providing countless outlets with ample background, information, and on-the-record comments from the FTC, some media have chosen to take a day meant to promote kindness and positive efforts on behalf of children, to instead lob baseless accusations towards the First Lady and her new initiatives," Grisham said in the statement. This isn't the first time that First Lady Trump has been accused of copying her predecessor. In her speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention, Trump reused parts of a speech that Michelle Obama gave in 2008 at the Democratic National Convention. Trump launched her "Be Best" initiative in the Rose Garden on Monday with the goal of improving the lives of children across the country. She said her office will focus on mental health, opioid abuse, and negativity on social media. How she plans to address these issues is slightly less concrete. Erin Delmore, the senior political correspondent at Bustle, said it's a question that she's been asking Trump's office repeatedly. "We've seen her put out a brochure, a pamphlet that's talking to parents about how to educate their children when it comes to cyberbullying, and we've also seen this quest to really go to neo-natal units to work on young babies who are born with opioid addiction, but we are looking, waiting to see what those critical steps are going to be," Delmore said in an interview Tueday with Cheddar. Many reports have focused on the fact that the First Lady's announcement comes almost 16 months into her husband's presidency. Other recent first ladies have launched initiatives earlier in their husbands' terms. Laura Bush, for example, initiated her literacy campaign six months into President George W. Bush's first term. Michelle Obama, however, announced her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity in February 2010, about 13 months after her husband took office. Delmore said Trump is different from her immediate predecessors because she's new to politics. "She didn't come from a corporate background, and she hasn't been the wife of somebody active in politics, and being a political spouse is a totally different ball game," Delmore said. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/melania-trump-launches-new-child-focused-initiative-be-best).

Share:
More In Politics
Large Companies Fail To Meet Deforestation Goals
Back in 2010, several large companies pledged to work towards stopping deforestation by 2020. Companies like Nestle and Carrefour even went further to say that they would eliminate deforestation from their supply chains altogether. However, fast forward to 2020, many of these companies have failed to reach that goal. Associate Director of Forest at the CDP Nadia Bishai, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Instagram CEO Testifies in Front of Congress Over Teen Safety
Instagram Chief Executive Adam Mosseri is set to testify before Congress for the first time. Mosseri’s appearance follows reports that showed Facebook and Instagram are aware of the harms their apps and services cause, including to teen mental health. Nicole Gill, co-founder and executive director of Accountable Tech joins Cheddar News to preview the hearing.
What the Congressional Hearing on Crypto Means for the Future of Regulation
Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down what to expect from the cryptocurrency executives appearing on Capitol Hill and how it could impact future crypto regulation. "I think what most people want to see from regulation is essentially channeling the good and the potential and putting in place guardrails to minimize the bad," he said.
Didi to Delist from NYSE Six Months after IPO
Less than six months after making its public debut on the NYSE, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi says it will delist in the U.S. and pivot to Hong Kong instead. Chinese regulators are citing cybersecurity and data concerns. Shehzad Qazi, Managing Director, China Beige Book International joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The Politics of a COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
While the World Health Organization strongly advises against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, national and local governments are moving to make inoculations compulsory. Cheddar News speaks with Dr. Joel Zinberg of the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the issue.
Load More